Spurs secure signing of Atletico Madrid defender Toby Alderweireld

Tottenham have successfully signed Belgium international defender Toby Alderweireld from La Liga side Atletico Madrid, with the former Southampton centre back penning a five-year deal at White Hart Lane.

The 26-year-old enjoyed an impressive season-long loan spell with Spurs’ fellow Premier League outfit Southampton last term, rising to prominence with his dominant displays at St Mary’s.

Ronald Koeman’s Saints were keen to snap up the Belgian centre back on a permanent basis this summer, but Mauricio Pochettino has landed his man instead ahead of next season (6/1 with Coral for a top four finish 2015/16).

Alderweireld said: “I’m very proud to be a Tottenham Hotspur player. I’m happy to be here and hope to have a wonderful time with this team.

“From the beginning I knew a lot about the club from Jan Vertonghen, Mousa Dembele and Nacer Chadli.”

A deal was reportedly put in place before the player’s loan stint with Southampton that the south coast side simply needed to trigger this year in order to secure his services, but Atleti changed their stance and opted to sell to the highest bidder.

Due to this, the Saints may be in line to receive compensation, having missed out on their defensive target, with Alderweireld set to arrive at White Hart Lane instead, having made 28 appearances in all competitions last term for Southampton.

Alderweireld previously outlined his desire to link up with fellow countryman Vertonghen in London, possibly a key factor in the decision on his future, and the White Hart Lane outfit will now boast an all-Belgium international defensive pairing ahead of another hopeful campaign.

As well as Vertonghen, familiar faces for the new arrival will be Chadli and Dembele, with Alderweireld adding to the strong Belgian contingency for the upcoming term in London.

The talented centre back moved to Atletico from Ajax in 2013 and made 26 Premier League outings for the Saints last term during a successful loan stint, helping the club finish in seventh position, despite having earlier let many star players leave. Alderweireld was also reportedly tracked by top-flight champions Chelsea this summer, but the Belgian will tog out in the white of Spurs next season, an exciting prospect for fans in London.